1Lnd wicked pride can scoff even at God's Word and God's prophet. Down low indeed that mon must have fallen who once knew the "glory of the Lord," and waited for the Lord's will, and now, in bis rioting, can jeer at sacred things. Impress that those who neglect tho culture of piety put from them all gracious influences, and become so possessed with the evil spirit of self that, like the demoniac in the Gospels, they say, even to the healing, soving Christ, "What have we to do with thee? "-R. T. Ver. 16.-The swre Foundation. "A precious Corner-stone, a sure Foundation" (Revised Version). It Is characteristic of prophetic messages that, however severely sins may be denounced, and judgment declared, in the very midst of the message some word of love and hope and cheer is put in for the sake of the true and faithful ones. God is ever mindful of his elect remnant. Those who are striving to be obedient and righteous In a degenerate age, and in the midst of abounding self-indulgence, are within his observation, and they shall never want the encouragement of his smile, or the cheering, comforting word of his promise. This text is a message sent to such faithful ones. It contrasts the grounds on which the confidence of the true Israel rests with the grounds of confidence which those were trying to fashion for themselves who wished to live in sin and self-will. Whatever might be the appearances of things, their founda- tions would surely prove in the day of trial to be "refnges of lies." However it may be despised, the old Zion-Foundation would be found to abide firm-a. tried Stone, a sura Foundation, in the days of flood and storm. The best of all commentaries on this text, and its associated verses, is found in the fignre with which our Lord closed the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord translated the Zion-Foundation for us, setting it out so plainly that none need misunderstand. God's safe foundation is just this- Hearing his words, and doing them. He that builds his life and his hope on that foundation "shall never be moved." I. 'l'HE FOUNDATION-PRINCIPLE OF MORALS AND RELIGION. By "morals" we mean right relations with our fellow-men. By "religion" we mean right relations with GDd. Both these lie on one and the same foundation-principle. The prophet spoke to the men of Jerusalem and Judah, who were familiar with the temple of Solomon. He bids them look at its foundations, and especially observe how all the temple was reared upon the majestic stone laid at the comer that juts out into the valley, the massive stone that lies in its place to-day just as they set it in Solomon's time-a. precious corner- stone, a sure foundation. But he reminds them that the temple, its courts, and its worship, represented and symbolized the Jewish people, as a nation consecrated to God, and so that foundation-stone represented the first, the essential principle of the national life, which was this-full .consecration to God, in trust, obedience, and righteousnes~. They were a people pledged in a covenant with Jehovah. '!'heir pledge was the founda- tion-stone of their national life. That pledge they expressed thus : "The Lord our God will we serve, and him only will we obey." When they passed to a life of self- will they shifted from the true foundation. But so long as that old temple stood in tho centre of the land, it spoke out, day and night, its unceasing reproach. "Other Founda- tion can no man lay than that is laid." Translated into Christian form by St. Peter (1 Epist. ii. 6, 8), the spiritual Foundation is Christ; and we are 1,o be building day by day, stone by stone, on the foundation-principle which Christ laid for us in his own consecrated life-the principle of full obedience to God, rendered in a spirit of trustful, childlike humility and love. There is really but oue antagonistic principle of lifo to this. It may gain vBl'ious forms and expressions, but they nre shapes assumed by one body. The principle is thi&-life for self, the making oi self our foundation. II. TnE POBBIDILITY OF RAISING A NOBLE LIFE ON THIS FOUNDA'l'ION. Foundations 11suBlly do no more than give stability to a building, but a moral foundation does more thou this-it gives character to all that is reared upon it. Let a man's foundation for life be a determination to win material success, and it will surely tone everythin~ Le docs with energy Bnd perseverance. Life touched and inspired with this principle uf trustful obedience to God cannot fail to be noble, because it will: 1. Bo pure; tho chorm of the "right" will lie on everything. 2. Be generous; because living uut of 1elf and for God involves living out of self and for others. 3. Be God-like; for the very things which God approves and f!eeks we also shall approve and seek. Ill. TDE BECUlltTY OF THE CHARACTER lND LIJ'E RAISED ON TlllS FOUNDATI0JIT. THE BOOK 01<'. THE PROPHET 1SA1AlL [on. :x.xvm.1-29,
This is expressed in the figure of the last cll\u1e. As repeated ln Scripture it takes three forms. 1. Shall not make haste, or hurry out of his houile ,vhen calamity seems to threaten. 2. Shall not be ashamed when the angels come to test the chl\raoter of the life. 8. Shall not be oonfounded when the days of storm.threaten to overwhelm, We are each one of us ra.lsing a temple-the temple of a character, of a life. Concerning our work we may well ask two searching questions. lt is on the one sure Foundatiop.? Are we raising it in a manner that is worthy of the Foundation ?-R. T.